Star Wars: Fall Of The Jedi
by IanO
Summary: Takes place after Ep3. As Darth Vader hunts down the last of the Jedi, the few remaining survivors ban together to make a final plan to win back the universe. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**STAR WARS**

**Fall of the Jedi**

**Chapter 1**

Overhead of the large, bustling city planet of Coruscant approached a fleet of Imperial ships. A squad of tie fighters, with their large, flat panel wings and round cockpits, streaked by, followed by a caravan of white, triangular Imperial shuttles. Two star destroyers were seen beyond.

It was two years now since the formation of the Empire, and the star destroyers were a force to be reckoned with, feared beyond all other ships in the galaxy. But this day, all within view would soon set their eyes on a great ship which would far surpass the might of the star destroyers.

Behind the tie fighters and shuttles came a massive, looming craft. It was ten times as large as a regular star destroyer, and much more powerful. Its name was the _Executor, _and it was the first of its class. It was one its way from Corellia where it had been in the building for two years. Now it approached the center of the Empire, Coruscant, to enter into duty.

On the deck of the ship was a large platform which was surrounded by a great view screen showing an almost 180 degree view of the space outside. The Imperial officers marched along the bridge in their prim, grey uniforms. Below the bridge platform in pits were the control centers of the ship which were being ran by lesser officers and Imperial engineers.

"We are with in shuttle range, Admiral," one of the men reported to Admiral Ween, the commanding officer of the ship.

"Excellent," Admiral Ween answered, "Send word to Lord Vader that his ship has arrived and is ready for commissioning."

"Yes sir."

Down below on the surface of the planet, Darth Vader paced the balcony floor of his mighty castle. The castle of Darth Vader was a suiting home of the great Sith lord, as black and imposing as the man himself. The palace was structured as an ascending pyramid of glassy, black, monolithic stone which glistened over the cityscape around it. Only one other building here in Coruscant was more menacing, and that was the Imperial Palace itself.

Darth Vader was the right hand of the Emperor, and most of the galaxy was now in his control. There were now very few of the Jedi left to resist him, and those that still remained were now all too weak. None could withstand the might of Vader now. He had grown in his dark powers since that fateful day when he gave himself over to the service of the Emperor.

He had spent the last two years hunting the surviving Jedi throughout the galaxy. There were still many out there, he could feel them in the Force. But the Empire was growing everyday, and soon there would be no where for the Jedi to hide.

"Lord Vader, the _Executor_ has arrived," a voice spoke over an intercom system out on the balcony.

"Excellent," Vader spoke back in his deep, hollow voice, "Inform the Admiral I will be arriving on the ship shortly for inspection."

If Vader could smile through his menacing black helmet, he would have. His new ship would help him greatly in the hunt for the remaining Jedi. It was the largest, most powerful ship in the galaxy, the first built of its kind. It could reach one end of the outer rim to the other faster than any ship before it. When this ship would come down on a planet, none could escape it. All systems would now tremble before him, if they dared not to already.

Darth Vader paused for a moment and stared up into the night sky of Coruscant with his black-gloved hands behind his back. Then he swiftly turned his head back around and marched out from the balcony.

The white, tri-winged Imperial shuttle sailed up to the hull of the massive _Executor_, through the ever-moving lines of traffic coming to and from the surface of the planet into the strata of space above.

The shuttle entered the docking bay of the hip and landed. Darth Vader exited the shuttle and was met by a troop of white-armored stormtroopers and a group of officers, including Admiral Ween.

"Admiral, what is the status of the ship?"

"The _Executor_ is fully operational. It is now going through spot checks by the engineers and is being entered into the naval registry."

"When will it be able to depart?" Vader asked as his breathing apparatus made the same repetitive breathing sounds.

"Depart on a mission you mean, Lord?" Ween asked, surprised by the question.

"Yes."

"Well," he stuttered, "We could be able to be ready in two days I should think, Lord Vader."

"That is not acceptable Admiral," Vader turned to his inferior, shaking a black finger in front of him, "I wish to leave today."

With that Vader marched out of the dock and up to the bridge to survey his new command post.

The officers were all filled with fear by the presence of their new commander. But this was Vader's ship, and they were all at his beckon. He stared out into the vastness of space beyond Coruscant. He had waited two years for his ship to be built. He was now anxious to use it, to go out into the universe and find the last of his foes, the last of the enemies of the Sith.

Admiral Ween had to jog to catch up to Lord Vader, and he panted as he reached him on the bridge.

"Where is our first destination, Lord Vader?" he asked. He knew arguing with Darth Vader about the shi not being ready in time was useless, and he would not survive that conversation if he had it. His only option was to somehow make sure that the ship would be ready.

"Boz Pity," Vader answered deeply, not bothering to turn from the view screen to answer, "The search of that planet by our troops has been insufficient. There are Jedi there. They have been hiding there for two years. That is unacceptable. Their time there has come to an end."

As he said this, he squeezed his hand into a fist and raised it to the height of his head. His anger had gotten the best of him, and nearby, one of the handles on a control panel was snapped off suddenly. Vader paid it no heed.

"Prepare to depart immediat4ely," Vader commanded as he walked past Admiral Ween and left the bridge."

"Ye-yes sir, Lord Vader," Ween quivered behind him. He then composed himself and went back into command mode.

"Set a course for Boz Pity," he ordered the men in the control pits.

Vader marched down the halls of the ship to inspect his private chamber. As we walked, he would feel the weighty bulk of the ship turning around and preparing to set out.

The great Super Star Destroyer turned course from Coruscant and moved away from the planet. Two other Imperial-class Destroyers moved quickly out of its way. The _Executor_ now charged ahead, building up speed, and only a moment later it went into hyperspace and was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Jedi Master Vos looked out over the dusk-lit plains of Boz Pity. For two years he had been stranded on that planet which was constantly under watch by the new Imperial forces. Two long years in exile after his troops turned on him at the end of the clones wars. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

After the siege of Saleucami, the routes to certain valuable systems such as Boz Pity were opened up, so Vos moved his troops there to engage the separatists. But just as they had captured the separatist command in the major city, Vos overheard a hologram transmission between the Supreme Chancellor and the head commander of the clone troopers. He invoked Order 66 and informed the trooper that the Jedi commanders should be eliminated.

He acted quickly, killing the trooper before he could inform anyone else about the order. Then he warned the other Jedi who were assigned to Boz Pity with him before the orders reached the ears of the other troopers. They had no choice to flee the city and find refuge in the wilderness of Boz pity. Ever since, the Empire has kept close watch on the planet and no ship could depart without them knowing. The Empire knew they were on the planet somewhere, but had yet to flush them out.

He and the other Jedi were hiding in an old, abandoned castle far from any civilization. All around them were low rising hills covered in graveyards. For Boz Pity was known as the graveyard planet of the galaxy. Many deceased from the neighboring systems would be buried here in order to conserve space on their own home worlds. And so, as a result, the planet had a reputation of being haunted and an eerie shroud fell upon the entire surface.

"Quinlan?" spoke a soft, female voice from behind him on the castle terrace, "What is it?"

Quinlan Vos turned back to see Jedi Knight Nera Ven, a tall, slender woman with long, brown hair and deep brown eyes. She wore a tight-fitting robe of purple and brown, with a black belt hanging off her hips which held her lightsaber.

Vos turned back to look over the parapet, staring into the mists beyond. He was a stern looking man, with shaggy black hair falling past his shoulders and was now sporting a short, full beard on his face. He was young when he was made a Master, but these last couple years in hiding had aged and matured him.

"I sense danger. A growing blackness."

"The Dark Side?" she asked.

"Perhaps," he answered, "Everything seems blurred now though. But something dark is growing out there."

He walked right to the end of the castle wall, peering far out into the misty distance.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he spoke again.

"You think they know where we are?"

"It was only a matter of time really," he turned to her, "We could only stay low for so long. Honestly, we stayed hidden for a lot longer than I would have thought.

"Oh Quinlan," she wailed as she drew herself up close to him, "What horrible times."

"Yes," he said thoughtfully as he wrapped his arm around her, "We're soon to be put to the test against this new enemy. This Darth Vader."

"I've been trying to draw strength from the Force, but I'm scared Quinlan," Nera confessed.

Quinlan turned to her and held her by the shoulders. "We'll get through it, all of us. As long as we have each other, we'll get through it." And with that he leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him as they kissed, pressing herself closely.

The Jedi were forbidden to love. But the Jedi Order was dissolved now, and the two of them had spent the last two years holed up together in this castle, so some of the rules had gone by the wayside. Quinlan Vos was never one for following the rules much anyways.

But their embrace was soon broken. Quinlan shot a glance back into the distance. He could hear it now, a large clunking far off. It was still too foggy to see anything.

"Let's go find the others," he said as they ran back inside the castle.

The castle was ancient and cracking. Many of the stone walls were hung with creeping ivy. Technology still existed here in the lighting and automatic doors, as well as with the large laser blasters hidden on the turrets.

Boz Pity is a graveyard planet, where many of the surrounding systems bring their dead to be buried. There is not much civilization otherwise except for the grave keepers, who would dwell in the castles which still remained from the old days of Boz Pity's history.

But now this castle was used by the refugees of the war which raged on that planet only a couple years earlier. Five Jedi survived the sudden betrayal of the Republic and were aided by an independent strike force which helped defend the planet against the separatists, in the interests of keeping this planet in Republic hands. For as morbid as its purpose was, Boz Pity was still economically essential.

Now there were about twenty of the Boz Pity troops left, guarding their hideaway castle with the Jedi survivors. Quinlan Vos ran over to two of these troopers standing at one of the doorways in their blue uniforms to warn them.

"Get every man you have left ready," he said sternly, "I think they've found us."

He then ran on into one of the larger chambers of the castle where they other three Jedi were standing around talking to each other. Two of the Jedis were very young and were still padawans until just before the end of the war. Vice Waver was one. He was a scrawny human with dirty blond hair which he wore a headband around. His Jedi robes were very tattered and unkempt. His young counterpart was Nakeen. She was also human but was richly decorated in tattoos, as was the custom of her people. She had a blue design around her left eye and some red motifs running down the sides of her neck. Her hair was red, short but wild, sticking out frantically from her head.

The other was not human, but covered in shaggy white fur-like hair. He had a kindly face with long, pointed ears stick up out of the fur. He wore a brown poncho as his robes to cover the massive bulk of his body. His name was Boro.

I think they're here," Quinlan told them in a calming, leader-like voice. He saw a quick look of panic reach the eyes of the younger ones. "The day we have dreaded has come. But we knew it would come eventually. Don't worry, we're as ready for this as we'll ever be. We just have to stick together."

"You've seen them Quinlan?" Vice asked.

"No, but I've felt them."

"I feel it too," Boro confirmed in his gruff voice.

"Boro," Quinlan now set out his plans, "Tell the commander to set his troops around the border of the castle. I think they'll be coming from the west, but have someone keep watch on the hills to the east.

"Vice, Nakeen, watch the entrances. If anyone tries to get in, don't let them. Nera and I will keep command on the front wall. If this Darth Vader arrives, do not engage him. He is a powerful Sith lord, far too powerful for any of you. This means you too Nera." He said softly as he looked to her.

"What if we can't fend them off? There aren't many of the local troops left here, not enough to keep back the Empire," Nakeen wondered.

"Then escape. We all know the route. I know how risky it is, but it may come to that. If it does, then it does.

"Alright, lets get ready. Boro, find the commander. Tell him to meet me at the front wall. Then you take command on the ground level."

The wooly Jedi nodded and left the group.

"Alright, let's go to our positions," Quinlan said in a soothing voice, trying to hold down the panic of the younger ones, "May the Force be with us all."

The troops in their blue uniforms took their places along the castle walls and at the entrances of the old, stone fortress. Vice stood nervously at the northern gate with two Boz Pity guards. Nakeen stood at the other, both facing the west.

There was now a thrumming in the air. All five of the Jedis could feel it closing in no them. Vice peered into the misty distance. Still nothing could be seen. But now nothing could be heard. Something was coming.

The Boz Pity troop commander met Quinlan and Nera on the front battlement.

"Troops are in position Master Vos," he reported, "How far out is the enemy?"

"Not far now," Nera said, "I can hear them."

"Me too," said Quinlan.

"Sir! Look!" one of the troops called to his commander. He was holding a pair of electrobinoculars. The commander walked over to him and looked into the binoculars himself.

"Master Vos! Master Ven!" he motioned for them too look themselves.

Quinlan Vos looked into the electrobinoculars. He looked into the west, past the field of raves dotting the ground. Just coming into view now were two huge, behemoth vehicles. They looked like Giant mechanical beasts, walking on four hydraulic legs under a huge bulk, with the cockpit coming out like the head of the beast.

They were the Imperial AT-AT walkers, as yet unseen in the universe. The might of the Empire was now reaching home to all of the Jedi there in that castle.

Inside the castle on the ground floor Boro stood around with five Boz-Pity troops. He all stood still as they could hear the thumping of the great feet, feeling the vibrations that rippled through the ground.

Outside, Vice and Nakeen could both see the horrible walkers grow in the distance. They could make out their form, and knew they must have been big.

Nakeen looked over to Vice ion the other end of the wall for comfort. But he looked just as uncertain as her.

"What are they?" she said in awe.

Back on the wall Quinlan tried not to look phased.

"Prepare for the enemy advance," he ordered as he walked back to his place on the wall. Nera took back her place too.

Quinlan looked out at the Imperial walkers. In a way, he was glad that the hiding was over. He was ready for a fight again, despite the fact that this fight they would almost certainly lose. They may be his last stand as a Jedi.

In a motion of defiance against their new invaders, he whipped his lightsaber from his belt and turned it on. His blade shone gold as is buzzed. As far as he knew, he was the only Jedi in the Order with a golden lightsaber. It was his prided weapon, unique like himself.

He now held his lightsaber up in defiance against their new invaders, the golden glow emanating around it.

"Let them come."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The _Executor_ hovered over the planet of Boz Pity, staring down at the grey and blue globe. Darth Vader watched the planet from the command deck. He held his hands behind his back and breathed his slow, laborious breath as he focused on the battle ahead. There were more than one of them here. He could feel it.

The deck's commanding officer approached him with a salute. "Lord Vader, the ground forces are positioned. Your shuttle is ready to take you down to the surface."

"Excellent captain. Inform the shuttle crew that I am on my way now. Stand ready."

"Yes sir," the captain answered professionally, yet nervously. Darth Vader's dark presence left the deck as he made his way to the docking bay.

"Commander Rhish," Quinlan called over to the leader of the Boz Pity guard. The man in the blue uniform ran over to the Jedi Master.

"Yes sir Master Vos?"

"Are we sure those two ion cannons are going to work?"

"We can't be sure sir," he said, "We haven't been able to test them in two years, in case they might be detected."

"Well, we will have to wait and see."

"I'll be down at the doorways if you need me sir," the stern Commander informed Quinlan as we went back to his post.  
"Quinlan," Nera looked to him with worry, "We're never going to be able to hold the castle. And what's the point, even if we do? They know where we are, they will just send a stronger Force next time. Why don't we just escape?"

"If we simply escape now, they will easily catch us," he pointed out, "We must distract them with this battle. Make them believe we have no plan of escape. Misdirection. We don't have a choice Nera."

Meanwhile, down below, the Imperial troops had almost reached the entrance to the castle. The lines of stormtroopers sprinted through the fields of tombstones and graves which sat before the old fortress, with the AT-AT walkers bringing up the rear.

Here they come!" Vice called out to the guards standing near him on the ground, "Attack!"

The guards fired their blasters towards the approaching units, knocking down a number of stormtroopers on the front line. But the ones coming up behind were not phased. They simply ran over the bodies of the white-uniformed troops and continued advancing.

As Vice looked closer at the Stormtroopers who weaved through the graveyard before the castle, he noticed that they were decorated with noticeable black strips running down their white shoulder-pads. They also had two black strips running from the front to the back of their helmets. Also, on their white chest plates was stenciled a black logo of the Imperial ensign.

These were not just any ordinary stormtroopers. These were Darth Vader's elite unit of Jedi Hunting Stormtroopers which had become to be known simply as Killtroopers. They aided Vader whenever he was tracking down any of the Jedi-in-hiding still left in the galaxy.

And now the Killtroopers were here on Boz Pity. And that meant Vader would be too.

"Killtroopers," Quinlan whispered as he watched their approach from the castle wall. He looked over at Nera who looked back. He could tell they had the same thought. They would soon be facing the traitor to the Jedi Order.

Down on the floor level of the castle, Boro could hear the advancing battle. The large, furry Jedi held his lightsaber high with his strong, orange arms. A unit of blue-uniformed guards stood behind him, including the captain of the guard, Commander Rhish.

Boro signaled to his troops to hold steady until the Stormtroopers actually came through the door. Rhish nodded in silent reply. The Boz Pity troops held their blasters firmly in front of them. They all knew that this day would come.

The stormtroopers now reached the castle. The guars on the ground fired their blasters frantically at any trooper who came near them. On the wall, Quinlan shouted down orders to the ion cannons to continue firing at the AT-AT.

"Keep the cannons on the walkers! Let us deal with the troops!"

The first of the Killtroopers had now reached Vice's doorway. His blue lightsaber went into action as he leapt over the first two troopers, landing and making a wide sweep. He took out the legs of both the two troopers in front of him and the two behind.

Nakeen, guarding the doorway to left of Vice, took down the first of the Stormtroopers by deflecting their shots with her saber. Her white, tattooed face and flaming red hair went wild as the rush of battle drew into her.

Meanwhile, away from the castle gates, a number of Killtroopers ran straight for the wall. They had grappling hooks in their hands, shooting them up to the top of the walls, and propelling themselves over.

"Nera!" Quinlan called to his partner as he watched the Imperial troops breach the way.

The beautiful Nera Ven quickly turned to Quinlan's voice and saw that they were separated by these black-striped soldiers in white. She ran forward with her green lightsaber brandished. The troopers acted quickly, bending to their knees and firing their laser shots at the oncoming Jedis.

But the Jedi pairing was too fast for them. Nera deflected all of the shots away as her slender form slid down onto the ground of the castle floor. Almost at the same time, the husky form of Quinlan leapt high into the air over the group of troopers.

Quinlan held his golden blade downwards as he landed hard in the middle of the group, sending out a massive impact which took down all of the troopers in the center of the group. Almost concurrently, Nera made a sweeping, sliding circle around the perimeter of the group, taking out their knees with her own lightsaber. But as the two Jedis stood up amidst the carnage they created, they realized that many more Killtroopers were already pouring over the wall.

On the ground, the ion cannons continued firing at the AT-AT's but there was still no effect. Nothing was going to stop these behemoths, which were now approaching the far end of the massive graveyard, mist gathering around the large, hydraulic legs of the beasts.

But suddenly they walkers simply stopped, advancing now further. Another group of storm troopers ran scattered through the tombstones, as behind them a shadow appeared to move. Both Vice and Nakeen peered through the gloom ahead as they fought off their attackers, sensing a dark power approaching.

Then, through the mists lying over the grave-strewn ground, the black form of Vader appeared. His dark cape billowed behind him as his black mask stared ahead in a calming fury. He marched ahead as though nothing could stop him.

"Vader,' Vice whispered to himself. Before him was the fabled destroyer of the Jedi, the most powerful dark warrior in the galaxy.

As he shook himself out of it, he realized that he was surrounded by stormtroopers, much more than he would handle. He looked to the ion cannons, but they had been captured by the Imperials. He looked to Nakeen, but she was also being overrun.

"Pull back!" he called to Nakeen, "Pull back into the castle!"

Through he castle gateways, Vice waver ran, followed by the two guards who stood with him. Almost immediately behind them came the influx of stormtroopers. But as they passed through the entrance, they were met by a hail of blaster fire from the ground of troops waiting inside the castle. The same happed on the other side of the foyer, as Nakeen made her escape inside the castle.

Boro now held his green light blade in readiness as the stormtroopers managed to reach him. His bulky, animal-like form went into action, striking down the troopers with sheer, blunt force.

The battle inside the castle walls raged. The three Jedi met the brunt of the incoming troops, frantically fighting off the Imperial, trying to use the Force push to keep them at bay, striking swiftly at any who got to close. Commander Rhish and the Boz Pity guard fired their blasters in a panic. But the troopers would fire back, every once in a while catching one of the blue guards as their bodies fell to the ground.

"Hold them back!" Rhish called as he noticed his comrades falling around him, "Hold steady!"

Back on the wall, Boz Pity troops fired down into the crowd of stormtroopers below. Quinlan and Nera still battled with the troopers who had already breached the wall, fighting to keep them at bay.

Below on the ground, the menacing Darth Vader approached the castle, holding his glowing red lightsaber at his side. He stared up at the castle, watching the glow of green and gold before him. He relished these moments. He relished in the purging of the Jedi Order. He could sense the presence of five Jedi here in this castle. Five closer towards his goal of total extermination.

Quinlan saw the tall, black, Sith lord from atop the wall. He glared at Vader with his lethal, steely blue eyes. He would not be afraid of this man, even if the whole rest of the galaxy was.

All of the sudden, Commander Rhish ran onto the castle wall from a stairwell leading up from the ground floor.

"They've overrun the castle! We've lost it Master Vos."

"Very well," Quinlan nodded in understanding, "Pull everyone back to the hanger. Today we attempt our escape."

Rhish nodded in acknowledgment and ran back down the stairwell.

"Pull back!" he shouted out his orders. Vice, Nakeen and Boro herded the remaining home planet guards to the interior of the castle. The three Jedi followed behind, deflecting the blasts from the pursuing stormtroopers. However, some blaster shots still managed to get past them, including one which caught Commander Rhish in the chest as he ran to join the group. The commander fell to the ground, dying as he defended his planet to the last.

Vice looked in sadness as he saw Rhish fall, but quickly t pulled his attention back to the task at hand. They were heading for a secret passage they had developed a year ago, leading to a hanger which held a number of escape ships. Previously, escape would have been too risky. The Empire suspected Jedi on Boz Pity and watched the space around the planet far too closely for them to attempt it. But now, the risk no longer mattered.

"What about Quinlan and Nera?" Nakeen called to Vice.

"Don't worry, they'll make it," he assured her as he pushed them on.

Vader watched from the graveyard below the castle as the troops on the wall pull away. They were retreating. But no matter, they had nowhere to go. Still, he did not want any of these Jedi to slip away from him so easily. He watched as he saw his opportunity to catch one of them. He saw the curvy, black-haired female near the front of the wall. She was no longer surrounded by troops, but rather left quite alone. Just as she began her sprint back into the castle exterior, Vader raised his black-gloved hand and held it out in an open grip.

Back on the wall, Nera suddenly felt herself being held back by some invisible force. She felt herself being choked, air tightening around her throat. She choked, trying to call out to Quinlan who was a small distance away. Whatever was happening to her, she couldn't fight it.

Quinlan glanced back and saw what was happening. He looked over the wall to see Vader in complete control of the woman he loved. She was motionless, unable to move. All she could do was claw at her neck to try to get free of the invisible hands choking her.

Then, as she remained suspended at the wall, a blaster shot from the ground came and struck her straight on. Suddenly, Vader's grip was loosened and she fell to the floor.

"Nera!" Quinlan called out as he ran back to her. He fell to his knees beside her, looking at the wound. The laser blast had gone straight through her torso. There was no hope for her.

"Quinlan.." she tried to speak.

"Nera, Nera no," he shook his head in disbelief.

"Get… out… of here…" she tried to tell him, "Do not… face him…"

She wanted to tell him more. She had felt Vader's power through his hold on her. She knew that this was more power than she had felt in any Jedi. He was far too powerful for any of them, even a Jedi Master as strong as Quinlan Vos.

"Don't Nera, hold on," he tried to tell her as he tried to keep back the tears.

"Go Quinlan… go…" she said with her last ounce of strength. With that, she died in her arms.

Fury rose inside Quinlan. He would not let her die in vain. Darth Vader would pay for it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Quinlan ran through the secret passageway under the castle which led towards the hanger they had resisted the temptation to use for the last three years. He put aside his sorrow for Nera for the time being. He was a Jedi. He could compact his emotions when he needed to. Now he had to think of escape.

He came to the end of the passage and entered the hanger. The small chamber held four Jedi Starfighters and an old Republic gunship. The other three were already there, along with a handful of Boz Pity guards.

"Where's Nera?" Nakeen asked, but Quinlan only shook his head in response.

"Oh," Nakeen looked down, "I'm sorry Quinlan."

"We'll honour her later. For now, let's get ourselves out of here. I hope these hyperspace modifications you made to these ships work Vice."

"They'll work, don't worry about that!" Vice answered enthusiastically as he climbed into the cockpit of his starfighter.

"Well, I guess we'll find out," Quinlan said to himself with a hint of skepticism.

Once all four of the Jedi and the remaining troops were aboard their ships, Quinlan spoke to them over the comlink.

"Alright, we know the route out of here. It'll be the best way to avoid detection from the Imperial navy."

"If there is a way at all," Nakeen mumbled with doubt.

"Boro, ready to lead us out of here?" Quinlan asked as they could here the marching of Stormtroopers coming down the passageway. Boro gave a thumbs up sign with his large, fury hand through his cockpit window.

Just as the ships were lifting off from the floor, the Imperials barged through the entrance, firing their blasters aimlessly. They were followed by their dark lord, Darth Vader. But the black villain arrived at the hanger moments too late. The five ships were already taking off through a secret bay door on the other side.

"Argg!" he cried, "Destroy the castle, and go after them!"

The ships burst through a hillside only about a hundred yards away from the castle which had been home to them for so long. As they sped away from the site of battle, they looked behind them to see the AT-AT walked in motion again. The large Imperial war vehicle aimed its head towards the castle and fired its primary weapons. The castle erupted in an explosion of fire, shattering to pieces from the impact of the walker's blast.

Dusk was just about to set in over the planet, with the last of the planet's sun just peeking out over the horizon. The Jedi Starfighters flew away from the castle as fast as they could, racing across the hilly, grassy landscape. However, TIE fighters were soon in pursuit. The black, straight winged Imperial jets gained speed on the four Jedi ships, firing their blasters.

"Four TIE fighters behind us," Vice reported.

"Two more approaching from the left," Nakeen added. Quinlan turned to look, and sure enough, two more were coming in from the side, planning to cut them off ahead.

Quinlan fired his laser guns at the approaching two TIEs, aiming a perfect shot at the nearest one, sending it spiraling out of control into the other. They both went up in a ball of flame right over top another of Boz Pity's many graveyards. Quinlan flew his starfighter straight through the rising fireball. Nakeen, Vice and Boro were close behind him.

"Not too much further," Vice informed them.

"I think I see more TIE fighters approaching ahead," Nakeen said through the comlink.

Quinlan peered out of his cockpit to see several dark, winged shapes in the distance, flying straight towards them. "I don't think those are TIE fighters."

Suddenly, the winged figures approached, and turned out to be a flock of giant, bird-like creatures with leathery wings and each the size of a TIE fighter. They had long, sharp beaks, lined with small, pointy teeth, as well as sharp, spiky talons on their feet.

"Grenrocs!" Quinlan cried out as each other the Starfighters swerved off to avoid these massive, flying beasts.

The Grenrocs screeched at a horrible pitch as they tried to catch the ships heading towards them. Quinlan barely pulled away in time as the large talons of the foremost creature swatted out at him. He quickly then had to pull back the other way to avoid another directly in his path.

Nakeen and Vice also weaved through the Grenrocs, but Boro was less patient and simply blasted away the nearest one to his ship. The beast cried out with a horrible shriek and crashed towards the ground. The Republic gunship swerved off to the far left to avoid the flock altogether.

A couple of the following TIE fighters weren't so lucky. The first one to fly into the flock was immediately snatched up by one of the Grenrocs who gripped it with one claw, and tore of one of its wings with the other. Two of the other fighters swerved around and dodged three more of the vicious birds. The fourth fighter got caught with one of the claws but shook himself free, only to fly directly into the path of another Grenroc who broke through the round cockpit with its giant beak, plucking out the pilot and sending the jet crashing to the ground.

Meanwhile, Darth Vader marched away from the smoldering ruins of the castle back towards the base set up near the AT-AT walkers. His white, triangular Imperial shuttle awaited him there, as well as a contingent of Killtroopers.

"Lord Vader," the captain addressed him, "We have analyzed their escape route, and there may be a gap in our barricade of the planet."

"Then close it at once," Vader pointed his black-gloved finger at the captain, "Do not let them get away."

"Still two behind us!" Vice called out in a slightly panicked voice.

"We're almost there Vice, just keep shaking them," Quinlan calmly replied.

They now passed over a more frequently hilled area where small forests covered the valleys of the hills and the grave sites sat on top, with smaller, stone huts beside them. They flew their ships over top the trees and past the graves. The two remaining TIE fighters were closing in behind them.

"Look out!" Nakeen suddenly cried, but she wasn't looking behind, she was looking ahead.

Quinlan and Nakeen both managed to make it past without any problems, but as Vice approached an oncoming cluster of trees, a massive beast suddenly burst through the treetops. It was a monstrous creature with a bulky hunchback, large clawed hands, and a huge mouth that covered most of its face. It was none other then the dreaded beast the rancor, one of the most vicious beasts in the galaxy.

The rancor growled as Vice flew past its open mouth as it snapped its jaws like a bird going after a fly. The gunship full of the Boz Pity Guards wasn't so lucky. The rancor reached out for the ship, grabbing its right wing and ripping it clean off of the ship. The gunship lost control and spiraled off to the right crashing into the closest graveyard below. The rancor made a quick, disappointed grunt as it was now out of its reach.

Boro now flew straight for it. The rancor swatted its giant, gripping hand at Boro's green starfighter, but missed as Boro steered his ship up higher, flying over the rancor's head.

The rancor would not long be denied his prey however, as the first TIE fighter to pass by was quickly snatched by the monster's claws. The rancor quickly opened its huge mouth and chomped down on the small, black fighter, tearing open the cockpit and ripping off the wings.

As the second TIE fighter flew past, the rancor was already yanking the pilot out with its teeth and tossing away the wreckage of the ship. It tipped its head back as it gulped the pilot down its throat.

"That was close," Vice sighed.

"There's still one more," Quinlan reminded him, "Stay focused.

The last TIE fighter had managed to gain a lot of ground, thanks to the Rancor diversion. He was now closing in on the back of Boro's ship. The pilot took aim and fired his laser cannons, barely missing the tail end of his ship.

Boro swerved to the left, but the TIE stuck on him. He cut back the other way, but couldn't hake his pursuer.

"Boro, watch out," Vice called.

The gruff, furry Jedi, looked back over his shoulder to see the Imperial jet closing in. He tried a desperate maneuver and began to pull his ship up. However, he didn't get very far as the TIE's next shot clipped him on his right wing.

Boro tried to gain control of his rocking ship as it swayed back and forth. He was losing speed and the TIE fighter was pulling up very close. The TIE took another shot, hitting him square in the engine. Flame erupted on the Starfighters hull and Boro lost control completely. All he could do was tip his ship right, crashing into the TIE fighter, causing them both to explode on impact.

"Boro!" Vice cried out after his friend, watching the flaming wreckage behind him fall to the ground. Nakeen also looked back in horror.

"There's nothing you can do Vice," Quinlan reminded him in his calm Jedi voice, "We must keep going."

Vader's shuttle pulled out of Boz Pity's atmosphere, returning to his Super Star Destroyer which sat stationary above the dark green glow of the planet.

"Have we captured them yet?" he asked the pilot of the shuttle in the cockpit.

"Not yet Lord Vader. We are sending two Star Destroyers to their position."

Vader brimmed with wrath underneath his black, glossy helmet. He remembered Vos from his own time as a Jedi and knew how resourceful the man was. He sensed losing his grasp on the situation.

With no immediate pursuit, the remaining three Jedis were very quiet and solemn as they flew. They had now lost Nera, Boro, and the remaining guards who had supported them over the last three years on this planet. The three of them were all that was left.

"alright we're almost at the gap. Vice, can you read any Imperial jamming here?" Quinlan asked.

"No, but the fleet looks to be closing in."

"Then lets get out of here as fast as we can. Pull up."

The three Starfighters pulled up away from the hills of Boz Pity and high into the world's atmosphere.

Vader marched onto the wide open deck of the _Executor_, shouting out his demands at the grey-clad officers on board.

"Close the gap, jam their exit route," he ordered.

"We're trying Lord Vader," the Admiral on board assured him. Vader watched out the view screen to see three dots in the distance leaving the planet's atmosphere, making their way between the two star destroyers who were closing in on either side.

"Faster, Admiral," he commanded.

Quinlan led the other two away from the planet and straight out between the encroaching Imperial ships. He set up his co-ordinates and spoke into the comlink to the others.

"Well, this is it. Time to escape. You know the plan, we split up and rendezvous at the site we talked about. If I can't make it there, I will contact you by com to tell you what the plan it."

"How are we going to figure out what the plan is?" Nakeen asked.

"I have someone I can talk to," he told them, "but don't worry about that right now, worry about losing the Imperials. I will contact you later. Aright, set for hyperspace now!"

My Lord, they're going into hyperspace!" the officer called out to the Sith lord who stood over him on the deck.

"Put a lock on them now."

"Done Lord Vader. We should be able to tell which direction they went."

Vader looked out to see three streaks of white light as his prey escaped the trap he had set for them. He stood in silence for a moment with nothing but his deep, mechanical voice to be heard. Then he stormed of off the deck. He lost them for now, but he would not do so again.


End file.
